Rotative and locking unit-supporting clothes wringer and incasing gear mechanism



Oct. 16, 1928.

- .13. M. WENGER ROTATIVE AND LOCKING UNIT SUPPORTING CLOTHES WRINGERAND INCASING GEAR MECHANISM Filed Dec. 28, 1927 I a uVII'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID M. WENGEB, OF LEOLA,- PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTATIVE AND LOCKING UNIT-SUPPORTING CLOTHES WRINGEB AND INGASING GEARMECHANISM.

Application filed December 28, 1927. Serial No. 243,132.

This invention is a continuation-in-part of the applications Serial No.117,114, filed June 19, 1926, and Serial No. 203,191, filed July 2,1927, and has for its own object the provision of improvements inswinging mechanism for supporting a washing machine wringer,particularly in the means for providing in part swinging housing for themechanism which imparts forward and re- 0 verse motion to the wringerrolls, in any of themultiple positions provided by the swingingmechanism.

An object of this invention is to provide a longitudinal tubularswinging housing containing suitable mechanism for operating thewringer, the tubular housing being provided with a lockingniearisadapted to prevent the housin from a swinging movement, being allowedree and full rotation of the driving shafts and mechanism for operatingthe wrin er at all times.

A urther object of this invention is to provide a longitudinal tubularhousing constructed of a plurality of parts which may be easilyassembled into interlocked relationship, thereby formin a unitaryhousing.

In this invention, tie entire housing within which are located thevertical shaft and horizontal shaft to drive the wringer, as well as thenecessary gearing, is made up of approximately a tubular hollow casingadapted to swin in either direction on suitable supporting rackets, thereversing gearin of the two tooth-faced elementtype preferably beingfastened to an extended portion of the vertical shaft.

A further object of this invention is to provide a locking mechanismsuitably fastened to a washing machine element and adapted to engagewith a gear or ratchet fixed on the swinging mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide a longitudinal unitaryoscillatory wringer support and gear housing which is adapted to be heldin operable relationship to the main body portion of the washing'machine by means of suitable bearing brackets and supporting elementsrigidly attached to the main body portion, the locking mechanism beingalso attached thereto.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following detaileddescription of of the shaft driving mechanism and a remov-' able capportion therefor.

Figure 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of Figure 1,taken along line33.

Figure 4 represents a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 taken along line4-4.

The rotative locking and swinging mechanism for supporting a clotheswringer, ac-

cording to this invention, is adapted to be driven from any suitablesource of power through a drive shaft 1, which is adapted to havemounted and keyed to its upper end a mitre gear 2, which engages with aco-operating gear member 3, suitabl' keyed to shaft element 4. Theshafts 1 an 4, according to this invention,.are enclosed in a housingconstructed preferably of two main portions 5 and 6, the portion 5 ofthe housing being rotatably supported at its lower end 7 within ahousing portion 8 made of any suitable material such as metal, andadapted to be fastened firmly by means of machine bolts 9 and 10, orotherwise, to a supporting frame member 11 for the washing tub 12. As anadditional means for supporting the housing member 5 in properrelationship to the tub 12 and frame 11, a bracket portion 13 is adaptedto be firmly attached to the frame member 11 or other suitable position,by means of a machine screw 14, the housing portion 5 being adapted toslidably extend through an opening 15 of the bracket 13. The upperportion 6 of the housing is adapted to beformed having an arm extension16 at approximately rightangles thereto for receiving the shaft member 4in rotatable relationship thereto. The portion 6 of the housing isadapted to be brought into interlocked relationship with section 5 ofthe housing by formed therewith for attachment to a clothes wringer ofthe ordinary type, provision being made within the arm portion 16, as at19, for receiving the driving shaft extension 20 from the clotheswringer. The mitre gear members 2 and 3 are adapted to be enclosedwithin an enlarged section 21'of the housing and, for the purpose ofproviding easy access to the gears 2 and 3, it is preferred that thehousing section 21 be provided with a removable cap portion 22 which maybe'adjusted in attached relationship to the housing section 21 by anysuitable means, such as threaded portions 23, or otherwise, the capportion 22 being formed so that it may be removed from the housing orreplaced with the least possible difliculty whenever desired.

The housing comprising the member portions 5 and 6 is adapted to pivotor swing upon the bracket or housing portion 8, and the lower end 7 ofthe housing may be provided with a bearing section 24 integrallyconnected with the housing portion 5 or otherwise in order to aid inmaintaining the shaft 1 in proper vertical alignment in co-operationwith the bearing section 25 on the portion 6 of the housing and uponwhich the mitre gear 2 is adapted to be supported in rotatablerelationship thereto. The supportin bracket 8 will keep the'housingportion 5 rom slipping downward, while the flanged notched member 26will aid to keep the housing portion 5 from moving up, it beingunderstood that the flanged member 26 is adapted to. befirmly keyed tothe housing member 5 by means of a set screw 27.

The locking means for retaining the housing, comprising the sections 5and 6, in a desired position comprises in general a flanged member 26having a plurality of notches therein 28, 29, 30 and 31 arrangedperipherally thereof, the flanged member being flanged member extension26, the housing portion 5 may be easily revolved into the desiredposition and, when the notched portion 33 is out of alignment with thenotched porber attached to the tub or supporting frame thereof. Thespring 34 is positioned preferably under the bracket 13 in such a manneras to aid in pulling, when desired, the member 32 in engagement with thenotches on the flanged member 26.

The bracket or housing member 8 is constructed in such a manner that itwill provide an approximate covering and protection for the slidablemember 32 and the flanged element 26. In order to gain easy access tothe housing 8, it is preferred to provide a cover portion 37 adapted tobe removably attached to the bracket or housing portion 8 by means ofscrews 38 or otherwise.

The bearing member 24: within the lower end of the housing portion 5 isadapted to be turned to a tight fit for the insideperiphery of thetubular portion 5 and then pressed into the lower end thereof. Both thealignment bearings 24 and 25 may be easily bored with a long drill afterthe portions 5 and 6 are rigidly fastened together by means of thesleeve element 17, thereby insuring correct alignment. The portion .5 ofthe housing is preferred to be made of seamless tubing, therefore,insuring a member having no peripheral openings.

In operation, this invention provides an efiicient and inexpensive meansfor swinging clothes wringers to the right or left and locking it in anydesired position, the wringer in this invention being attached to thepivotally mounted housing, and gears therein are arranged to receive areversing motion through suitable gearings attached thereto. Theinterlocking portion located at the base of the housing is encased, inthis invention, sothat it will be protected from excessive moisture andthe like. The form of thehousing or encasement for the interlockingelements may be of any desirable type, one modification being herewithdescribed and disclosed in the drawings.

In this invention, it is to be noted that the extending shaft 20 of theclothes wringer is adapted to be flexibly joined to the shaft member 4by means of a suitable couplingme'mber 19, and that two shafts meetproperly at the inside of the coupling. The construction as herein setforth clearly defines a rotative unit of interlocked portions 5, 6 andwhile the driving shafts lot! 16, forming a continuous encasement forretions 1 and 4, together with gearing 2 and 3, having means for lockingthe unit in a plurallty of positions, the housing being provided withopenings through which it is possible to obtain access for drillingholes, facing and inserting the shaft portions and gearing.

It is to be understood that alterations and substitutions may be made inthe above disclosure, including the drawings within the scope of theappended claims, without affectin the merits of this invention.

what I calim is: a

1. In a rotative unit of the character described, a continuous housingfor vertical and horizontal shafts. the vertical shaft having a gear atone end for cooperating with a gear connected to the horizontal shaft,the continuous housing having an enlarged section of spherical formationfor receiving the gearing in meshed relationship therein, an opening inthe enlarged section of the housing for access to the gearing, and adetachable cover for the opening, bearings within the housing forproperly aligning the shafts therein, means at the lower end of thehousing for locking the unit at predetermined points in its rotation,and a protective covering for the locking means.

2. In a rotative unit of the character described, a continuous housingfor vertical and horizontal shafts, the vertical shaft having a gear atone end for cooperating with a gear connected to the horizontal shaft,the continuous housing having an enlarged section of spherical formationfor receiving the gearing in meshed relationship therein, an opening inthe enlarged section of the housing for access to the gearing, and adetachable cover for the opening, bearings within the housing forproperly aligning the shafts therein, a flanged member attached to thelower end of the housing having a plurality of notches therein forreceiving a cooperative locking member.

3. In a rotative unit of the character described, a continuous housingfor vertical and horizontal shafts, the vertical shaft having a gear atone end for cooperating with a gear connected to the horizontal shaft,the continuous housing having an enlarged section of spherical formationfor receiving the gearing in meshed relationship therein, an opening inthe enlarged section of the housing for access to the gearing, and adetachable cover for the opening, bearings within the housing forproperly aligning the shafts therein, av flanged member attached to thelower end of the housing having a plurality of notches therein forlocking the housing In any desired position, a supporting member for thehousing, a protective covering for the flanged member attached to thesupporting member.

4. In a rotative unit of the character de scribed, a continuous housingfor vertical and horizontal shafts, the vertical shaft having a gear atone end for cooperating with a gear connected to the horizontal shaft,the continuous housing having an enlarged section of spherical formationfor receiving the gearing 1n meshed relationship therein, an opening inthe enlarged section of the housing for access to the gearing, and adetachable cover for the opening, bearings within the housing forproperly aligning the shafts therein, a flanged member attached to thelower end of the housing having a plurality of notches therein forlocking the housingin any desired position, a supporting member for thehousing, a protective. covering for the flanged member attached to thesupporting member, an element slidably arranged within the protectivecovering for cooperating with the locking flanged member.

5. In a rotative unit ofthe character de- I scribed, a continuoushousing for vertical and horizontal shafts, the vertical shaft having agear at one end for-cooperating with a gear connected to the horizontalshaft, the continuous housing havin an enlarged section of sphericalformation for receiving the gear ing in meshed relationship therein, anopening in the enlarged section of the housing for access to thegearing, and a detachable cover for the opening, bearings within thehousing for properly aligning the shafts therein, locking means attachedto the lower end of the housing, a protective covering for the lockingmeans, the continuous housing consisting of upper and lower portionssecurely connected together, the upper portion having an arm memberextending at right angles to the lower portion, the outer end thereofbeing provided with a suitable plate member for receiving a wringer.

6. In a device of the class described, a main frame, a hollow bracketattached to the frame, a continuous housing rotatively mounted in thehollow bracket, locking means within the hollow bracket for holding thecontinuous housing in any desired position.

7. In a device of the class described, a main frame, a hollow bracketportion attached to the frame, a continuous housing rotatively mountedin the hollow bracket, a notched flanged member keyed to the continuoushousing within the bracket, a cooperating member slidably arrangedwithin the bracket for interlocking with the notched portions of theflanged member.

8. In a device of the class described, a main frame, a hollow bracketportion attached to the frame, a continuous housing rotatively mountedin the hollow bracket, a notched flanged member keyed to the continuoushousing within the bracket, a cooperating member slidably arrangedwithin the bracket for interlocking with the notched portions of theflanged member, a lever element for operating the sliding member.

9. In a device of the class described, a main frame, a hollow bracketportion attached to flanged member, a lever element for operating theframe, a continuous housing rotatively the sliding member, additionalbracket means mounted in the hollow bracket, a notched for holding thecontinuous housing in rotaflanged member keyed to the continuoushoustive relationship thereto.

5 ing within the bracket, a cooperating mem- In testimony whereof Iaifix my signature.

ber slidably arranged within the bracket for interlocking with thenotched portions of the DAVID M. WENGER.

